The painful international break is almost over, and Liverpool will soon be readying themselves for our biggest game of the season so far – away to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
But following the West Ham loss, and with Coutinho suspended and captain Jordan Henderson still battling for fitness, Brendan Rodgers has plenty of decisions to make regarding team selection.
Here’s five of them:
Dejan Lovren or Mamadou Sakho?
Lovren’s error against West Ham will still be haunting him, especially as he hasn’t played since after being dropped by Croatia for the international break as well. If Mamadou Sakho doesn’t get a chance now in his stead, he must be wondering when he ever will. Virtually all Liverpool supporters would prefer the Frenchman, but are of aware of Rodgers’ penchant for blunder happy Lovren. If he does go with the Croat and it goes wrong, the backlash will be epic.
Our choice: Sakho. All day long.
Joe Gomez or Alberto Moreno?
Gomez has been nothing short of a revelation since transferring from Charlton, but his bubble was slightly burst by a below par showing at home to West Ham. He’s naturally a centre-back, so it’s understandable he struggled to offer anything going forward. In truth, Alberto Moreno would have been much more suitable, and with the Spaniard chomping at the bit for a return to the XI, Rodgers must decide who to plump for. While Moreno should have played at Anfield, Gomez’s defensive strengths make him the better Old Trafford candidate, as his heroics at the Emirates proved.
Our choice: Gomez.
Will Danny Ings (or Divock Origi) start up top in a diamond?
Summer signing Ings hasn’t started yet but was one of the few bright sparks from the West Ham horror-show. Christian Benteke could deal with some support, and many fans are pining for a return to the diamond of 2013/14. This would enable Roberto Firmino, if fit, to play his favoured no.10 role with Coutinho suspended. Behind him, we could have a defensively secure, narrow centre of Lucas, Emre Can and James Milner. If Rodgers doesn’t want to use Ings, he’ll have to play Jordon Ibe and Roberto Firmino wide in the usual 4-3-3.
Our choice: No. Away from home, stick with Benteke up top on his own – and hope we nick a goal and shut up shop, as we almost did against Arsenal.
But can Roberto Firmino start after the international break…?
Our summer signing has started slowly since arriving on Merseyside, but with Coutinho suspended and Adam Lallana injured, we need him to put in his first performance of note. Unfortunately for us, he’s likely to play for Brazil against USA this Wednesday night, meaning by the time he flies back, he’ll only really have Friday to train before Saturday evening’s match. Lazar Markovic is out on loan, meaning that from having an apparent plethora of attacking midfielders at the start of the season, we’re down to Firmino and Jordon Ibe. Is it a guarantee then that both will start in the two wide spots if we stick with the 4-3-3?
Our choice: Despited limited preparation time, he simply has to start, although our limited options perhaps prove that Markovic should’ve stayed.
Will Jordan Henderson be risked?
So – what’s happened to our captain? Surprisingly little has been heard since the skipper limped off at home to Bournemouth. He missed the Arsenal and West Ham matches, the international break and there’s yet no word as to whether he’ll be available for the trip to Old Trafford. But if he is in contention, Rodgers must decide whether he’s ready to risk him or not. The game after United is a trip to Bordeaux which he’d likely be rested for anyway – meaning he’ll have eight days recovery before a home Premier League tie versus Norwich. There’s no point playing gambling too heavily on Henderson too early in the season, but even if he’s only ready to play an hour – it might just be worth it. His energy and passion would significantly boost us in the centre.
Our choice: Totally dependant on his fitness levels. But an 80% Jordan Henderson should start and not travel to France, as the West Ham farce has made another defeat unthinkable.
